diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java
index 438b491f1e4..79f65a65ef8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.delete.DeleteResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchResponse;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchType;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionRegistry;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.triggers.TriggerManager;
@@ -60,12 +61,17 @@ public class AlertsStore extends AbstractComponent {
     private final AlertActionRegistry alertActionRegistry;
     private final ConcurrentMap<String,Alert> alertMap;
 
+    private final int scrollSize;
+    private final TimeValue scrollTimeout;
+
     @Inject
     public AlertsStore(Settings settings, Client client, AlertActionRegistry alertActionRegistry) {
         super(settings);
         this.client = client;
         this.alertActionRegistry = alertActionRegistry;
-        alertMap = ConcurrentCollections.newConcurrentMap();
+        this.alertMap = ConcurrentCollections.newConcurrentMap();
+        this.scrollSize = componentSettings.getAsInt("scroll.size", 100);
+        this.scrollTimeout = componentSettings.getAsTime("scroll.timeout", TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(30));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -172,22 +178,25 @@ public class AlertsStore extends AbstractComponent {
             createAlertsIndex();
         }
 
-        SearchResponse searchResponse = client.prepareSearch().setSource(
-                "{ \"query\" : " +
-                        "{ \"match_all\" :  {}}," +
-                        "\"size\" : \"100\"" +
-                        "}"
-        ).setTypes(AlertManager.ALERT_TYPE).setIndices(AlertManager.ALERT_INDEX).execute().actionGet();
-        for (SearchHit sh : searchResponse.getHits()) {
-            String alertId = sh.getId();
-            try {
-                Alert alert = parseAlert(alertId, sh);
-                alertMap.put(alertId, alert);
-            } catch (ElasticsearchException e) {
-                logger.error("Unable to parse [{}] as an alert this alert will be skipped.",e,sh);
+        SearchResponse response = client.prepareSearch()
+                .setSearchType(SearchType.SCAN)
+                .setScroll(scrollTimeout)
+                .setSize(scrollSize)
+                .setTypes(AlertManager.ALERT_TYPE)
+                .setIndices(AlertManager.ALERT_INDEX).get();
+        try {
+            for (; response.getHits().hits().length != 0; response = client.prepareSearchScroll(response.getScrollId()).setScroll(scrollTimeout).get()) {
+                for (SearchHit sh : response.getHits()) {
+                    String alertId = sh.getId();
+                    Alert alert = parseAlert(alertId, sh);
+                    alertMap.put(alertId, alert);
+                }
+                response = client.prepareSearchScroll(response.getScrollId()).setScroll(scrollTimeout).get();
             }
+        } finally {
+            client.prepareClearScroll().addScrollId(response.getScrollId()).get();
         }
-        logger.warn("Loaded [{}] alerts from the alert index.", alertMap.size());
+        logger.info("Loaded [{}] alerts from the alert index.", alertMap.size());
     }
 
     private Alert parseAlert(String alertId, SearchHit sh) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java
index ea281f309f2..ba82aa119e7 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ public class BasicAlertingTest extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
     protected Settings nodeSettings(int nodeOrdinal) {
         return ImmutableSettings.builder()
                 .put(super.nodeSettings(nodeOrdinal))
+                .put("scroll.size", randomIntBetween(1, 100))
                 .put("plugin.mandatory", "alerts")
                 .put("plugin.types", AlertsPlugin.class.getName())
                 .put("node.mode", "network")